The present invention relates to a hitch assembly for use with agricultural tractors.
Tractors are often used in agriculture for towing various vehicles, and it is often necessary to hitch and unhitch the tractor from the tongues of these vehicles. Normally, the tongue of the vehicle to be towed includes a clevis having a vertically oriented pin receiving hole therein. The clevis is adapted to embrace a draw bar fixed to the tractor and having a vertically oriented pin receiving hole therein. When the vertical hole of the clevis is aligned with the vertical hole of the draw bar, a pin is inserted to lock the two together. Normally, this is a manual operation, and requires the tractor operator to dismount from the tractor, to position the clevis of the vehicle to be towed in the proper position with respect to the draw bar, and to insert the pin into the aligned holes thereof.
Coupling and disconnecting a towed vehicle to a tractor is often a difficult task to accomplish with one person. If the towed vehicle is very heavy, the tractor operator often encounters time consuming difficulty in properly positioning the tractor with respect to the towed vehicle so that the pin can be safely inserted or removed.
These problems can be overcome by an automatically operable hitching means which permits the operator to either couple or disconnect the towed vehicle without dismounting from the tractor.
Therefore, a primary object of the present invention is the provision of an improved means for permitting a tractor operator to couple or disconnect a towed vehicle without having to dismount from the tractor, thus saving fuel and labor while improving operator safety.
A further object of the present invention is the provision of an automatic hitching assembly which includes a pin mounted by a flexible coupling which permits the pin to deflect laterally in response to encountering various objects during its downward movement.
A further object of the pesent invention is the provision of an improved hitch assembly which includes a flexible coupling, and which further includes a limiting means to prevent the stretching of the flexible coupling during removal of the pin when unhitching the towed vehicle.
A further object of the present invention is the provision of an improved hitching means which is hydraulically operated and which is readily adaptable for use with the hydraulic system of a conventional tractor.
A further object of the present invention is the provision of an improved hitching assembly which includes a hydraulic cylinder and hydraulic restricting means for protecting the cylinder from higher hydraulic pressures received from the hydraulic system of the tractor.
A further object of the present invention is the provision of an improved hitching apparatus which includes tongue grasping means for grasping the tongue of the towed vehicle and lifting the tongue into a position aligned with the draw bar of the tractor.
A further object of the present invention is the provision of an improved hitching apparatus which includes grasping means capable of moving the clevis of the tongue of the towed vehicle into a position wherein the pin receiving holes of the clevis are in registered alignment with the pin receiving hole of the tractor draw bar.
A further object of the present invention is the provision of a hitching apparatus having a tongue grasping means capable of moving the tongue into the proper position with respect to the draw bar, and further capable of releasing its grasping engagement of the tongue after the vehicle to be towed has been coupled to the draw bar.
A further object of the present invention is the provision of a modified form of hitching assembly wherein the hitching assembly may be mounted directly to the draw bar of the vehicle.
A further object of the present invention is the provision of a hitching assembly which utilizes the three point lift of the tractor during its operation.
A further object of the present invention is the provision of a device which is economical to manufacture, durable in use and efficient in operation.